Chinese fighters flew dangerously close to Japanese patrol planes: Tokyo expressed concern

Chinese fighter jets flew extremely close to Japanese military patrol planes last weekend. This was reported by official Tokyo, after two Chinese aircraft carriers were spotted simultaneously in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, UNN writes with reference to Reuters.

Details

"We have expressed serious concern to the Chinese side and solemnly asked to prevent a recurrence," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Thursday, referring to incidents on June 7-8 when, according to Tokyo, Chinese planes flew as close as 45 meters to Japanese planes.

On Saturday, a Chinese J-15 fighter jet from the Shandong aircraft carrier chased a Japanese P-3C patrol plane for about 40 minutes, the Japanese Ministry of Defense said. On Sunday, the J-15 chased the P-3C for 80 minutes, staying ahead of the Japanese plane at a distance of only 900 meters, the statement said.

A spokesman for the ministry's Joint Staff Office declined to disclose whether the same aircraft were involved in the incidents on both days.

The P-3C aircraft, which belongs to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and is based on Okinawa Island, was monitoring international waters in the Pacific Ocean.

Such abnormal approaches by Chinese military aircraft could potentially lead to accidental collisions

Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular briefing that Tokyo would maintain contact with Beijing at various levels and ensure monitoring of the airspace around its territories.

Earlier this week, Tokyo said that the Shandong and another Chinese aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, were conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, calling it a step that shows Beijing's intention to further expand its capabilities beyond its borders.

Beijing said the operations were "routine training" maneuvers that were not aimed at specific countries.

Additions

UNN previously reported that in China spotted a new ship with an unusual design resembling an aircraft carrier.

Chinese warships entered the Arctic Ocean for the first time to patrol jointly with the Russian military.